The American Civil Liberties Union is currently helping six pairs of lesbian and gay parents fight for second-parent adoption rights for same-sex families in North Carolina.

As the ACLU points out on its website, children denied a legally recognized second parent are left vulnerable. Children can be removed from their home if the legally recognized parent dies, hospital staff may prevent their non-legal parent from consenting to needed care, and children may be ineligible to receive health insurance benefits that could be provided by their non-legal parent.

In addition to fighting this battle on the legal front, the ACLU launched a video campaign showcasing the moving stories of two of these families, bringing awareness to the challenges they face.

Meet Crystal and Leigh and Shana and Megan below, and find out how you can help secure adoption rights for LGBT families at www.aclu.org.